The Culture Council believes that there is now a unique opportunity to make the cultural and creative sector more agile and resilient, while at the same time creating space for the sector's recovery after corona. However, this requires a broad view of the cultural system as a whole and sufficient time to discuss this. The usual four-yearly...
The cultural field is deeply shaken by the war in Ukraine. This weekend, the cultural sector is taking concerted action for Ukraine with #hArtforUkraine. To show solidarity and to express sympathy and support, participating organisations adorn their buildings in blue and yellow and donate proceeds to Giro 555 of the Cooperating Relief Organisations. The Culture Council supports...
It was supposed to be Ivo van Hove's big break on Broadway. And it was meant to be, but fate decided otherwise. It was announced today via US show news Variety that West Side Story, in Ivo van Hove's modern, raucous version, will not be revived. Despite a jubilant reception and virtually sold-out theatres,...
Young artists, filmmakers, musicians, writers and other new thinkers are drowning in the effects of the Corona crisis, as a cry for help from Jett Rebel in de Volkskrant again showed. Assignments are falling away and there is little room for new initiatives. A whole generation of creative talents seems to be lost in jobs in the hospitality industry or at the GGD. The European Recovery Fund...
The uncertainty of the events sector and cultural institutions, after 17 months of lockdowns and one-and-a-half-month openings, is not only disastrous for the mood of directors, artists and spectators. According to the Creative Sector Taskforce, much more is being lost. In fact, a 'Marshall Plan' is needed to get the cultural and creative sector back on its feet,...
After a year of forced inactivity, Julidans kicked off yesterday under the slogan Never Stop Dancing. And so do the wondrous creatures that populate Elenit, the opening night in the hands of Euripides Laskaridis. His Elenit is a universe of grotesque and sometimes endearing characters held hostage by a huge windmill on stage. Against their will, they carry on, or...
A boy is a guest at his own funeral where a black metal band is playing a funeral concert. The killer, his best friend, is also there, along with anonymous black metal fans. The light is harsh, there is snow on the ground. To the right at the side of the stage, a wall has been built with crates of beer, to the left is what I am in...
TivoliVredenburg is a building like a festival. countless stages, bars, a café and a restaurant, hundreds of people at work, thousands inside on a night. I always came there too little. But when I did get there, it was a party. A building run by and attended by super-motivated people with only one goal: as much music as possible for as many people as possible. Until...
A strong cultural sector has an important economic and social driving function. Culture not only contributes positively to mental health and well-being, but is also an important building block in the recovery from the current corona crisis. To maximise this booster function, almost 500 million extra per year is needed. This is the conclusion of the Council for Culture in a letter to informateur Tjeenk...
Godfried Bomans died half a century ago. Almost immediately afterwards, the Netherlands' best-loved writer sank into oblivion. It is time for a reappraisal of Bomans' literary work and even his political views. I delved into the archives, also looking for the few traces of Bomans in Amersfoort. First some round figures. Seventy years ago, he delivered a lecture...
Do we need a new language, and are we at the mercy of the thought police of the Diversity and Inclusion Code? Or is that no thought police, and is Wijbrand in danger of turning into an old angry white man? It remains exciting. So in this podcast, we talk about the 'Guide to inclusive language for the cultural sector' drafted by Mounir Samuel....
Theatre Concordia is looking for young makers who are inspired and feel like turning a plan or idea into a theatrical product. The theme of this second open call is Living on the Border. The chosen submissions will receive guidance and a Masterclass, a starting budget of 750 euros and a place in our summer programming. During the first Open Call Never...
Dear outgoing Prime Minister Rutte, dear Mark, This is the first time I have turned to you, the first time at all for me to write such a letter. I have to get something off my chest, because I can no longer follow or understand it all. Before I point out what is bothering me, I will write to myself...
The Dutch cultural sector is in distress. Halbe Zijlstra's spending cuts ten years ago started a free fall that has still not stopped. The Social and Economic Council (SER) calculated that these cuts of 200 million not only caused impoverishment in cultural supply, but also wreaked havoc on the labour market. 20 thousand permanent jobs disappeared
Marion Koopmans, Cécile van Els, Maarten Keulemans et al on everything we now know about covid-19 What do we now know about the coronavirus? Are vaccines resistant to the prevailing mutations? What has the corona crisis done to Dutch trust in government and institutions? And what is the damage to the Dutch economy? In an interactive talk show on Monday 15...
Saturday, March 6, the annual Inkspotbattle took place at Concordia. The theme was "Elections (in Corona time)". 10 Dutch cartoonists participated. The only female participant, Renée van den Kerkhof, walked away with the prize. Online visitors could watch the participating cartoonists translate a topical subject into cartoons. An expert jury chose at the end of the...
Movementalist and Plein Theatre present 25, 26 and 27 February Aceleratio Sneak Peek Streams as a sneak peek of the performance installation Aceleratio that will be on show at the NDSM Fuse in May 2021. In the last three of the series of six 'sneak peek' live streams from the Plein Theatre, viewers get a look 'under the skin' of the performers. Intimate, fragile...
People will not be eager (in large numbers) to go to packed halls again. Many 'old' culture visitors can be considered lost. The cultural sector faces a twofold challenge: to minimise this loss and to look for new audiences even more than usual.
Moniek Merkx will step down as director of Maas Theatre&Dans on 3 February this year. She co-founded this Rotterdam-based company that makes theatre for people from small to large in 2013. A forced merger with two other youth theatre houses from the Maas city, it developed under her leadership into one of the most successful and interesting theatre groups in our country. In our podcast, I talk to her for an hour about how that came to be.
Since this week, I know the difference between a 12-year-old child and a 50-year-old man. That is, as far as I am concerned. When I was about 12, I demonstrated with my mother against the road through Amelisweerd. It was bliss to walk through town among all those people. A demonstration is a...
This year, November Music not only has a house composer, but also a house ensemble, the New European Ensemble. Naturally, the Hague club will play in the opening concert with Seung-Won Oh's Bosch Requiem. And, of course, they present a portrait concert with greatest hits by composer-in-residence Kaija Saariaho.
Three weeks back, the Plein Theatre started a petition, asking the City of Amsterdam, and in particular Alderman for Art and Culture Touria Meliani, to provide financial support to preserve the theatre. On Thursday 22 October, the petition with more than 1,600 signatures was handed over by director Berith Danse and chairman Bert Barten to alderman of Art and Culture Touria Meliani.
For Mark Rutte, this must be a defeat, or else a U-turn of sorts. Although, there are indications that he is taking a milder view. In 2016, his speechwriter actually managed to cycle the K-word into the speech from the throne
Writers and translators hit by the corona crisis can now apply for three support schemes set up especially for them. They can apply for up to €5,000 for a project grant or income support. The first submission deadline closes on 30 September 2020. Membership of the Authors' Association or affiliation to Lira is not compulsory.
Research firm Crisis Lab found on behalf of event organiser MOJO that events are quite safe in times of Corona. however, they are basing their findings on misrepresented facts.
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